July 3, 2024 (JUBA) – The ongoing war in Sudan has affected the implementation of the September 2018 peace agreement and disrupted oil flow, an official said.
Tut Gatluak Manime, South Sudan’s presidential adviser on national security affairs said implementation of the peace agreement remains behind schedule owing to the economic crisis currently affecting the timetable of the adopted roadmap.
He was speaking to journalists in after concluding the review of the implementation of the 2018 peace deal and the roadmap in the capital, Juba.
Gatluak revealed that the implementation of the agreement had faced challenges due to an economic meltdown, worsened by the conflict in Sudan.
Key provisions in the peace deal still unaddressed include, security arrangements, constitutional-making process, institutional reforms and election preparations.
“Some challenges have affected the implementation of the peace agreement. One of these challenges is the economic crisis caused by the civil war in Sudan. “As you know, we do not have external support and the war in Sudan has severely disrupted oil exports, affecting the flow of revenues. There is not another main source of our revenue, it is the oil and taxes that are not enough,” said Gatluak
Crude oil from South Sudan goes to the international market for sale through Sudan, but the war in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has affected the flow. An oil pipeline carrying more than 60% of the crude oil to international markets was damaged in February this year as a result of fighting between Sudan’s warring parties. No repair works and maintenance have been undertaken, despite efforts of the oil operating companies with assurances of support from Sudanese and South Sudanese authorities on one side and the leadership and command of the RSF on the other.
Revenues from oil account for nearly 90 percent of South Sudan’s annual budget.
Gatluak was tasked by President Salva Kiir to mediate cessation of hostilities between the rival parties in Sudan to facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid to the conflict areas in South Kordofan, specifically, Nuba Mountains and in the Blue Nile but the parties interested in discussion withdrew delegates for consultation and have not returned to the venue of talks to conclude discussions and sign a deal.
Sudanese military preferred a limited ceasefire with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North under the overall leadership and command of Abdel Aziz Adam Al-Hilu to facilitate access and delivery of humanitarian aid to the Kordofan region where the paramilitary RSF had led a seize on El-Obeid and Babanusa, all two key areas, which have remained under the control of the Sudanese army.
The SPLM-North is advocating for access to all Sudan’s conflict-affected areas.
This differences in the approach has delayed conclusion of the talks and a deal.
“Implementing an agreement requires very large amounts of money, even though South Sudan has been going through an economic crisis,” explained Gatluak, adding “Since the implementation of the peace agreement, there has been no external support except military clothing and the training camps which the government of South Sudan carried out”.
South Sudan wants to use cessation of hostilities to resume production of oil and export through Sudan to generate revenues it hopes to use for the implementation of the peace agreement. However, with the war in Sudan raging, South Sudan says it would not be in position to implement the peace accord because it requires huge money which it would not get without external support.
(ST)